Thursday, May 23, 2002

Softball Update

Our winter season was a long and cold one, at least by California standards. Some games, especially the later ones, were met with temperatures in the 30s and 40s, (single-digits in Celsius). With my newfound lack of insulation, and my lifelong lacking of cold tolerance, I required some greater ammunition.

I went to Wal-Mart and bought a heavy-duty, frosted blue Aladdin thermos. This thing keeps drinks warm for 6 hours straight, even in the coldest of California evenings. I filled it with piping hot water from my office's coffeemaker, stuck in some Sweet'n'Low and a teabag, and off I went.

The old guy at the park checking bags told me I wasn't supposed to bring any drinks in the park except for water. Undaunted, I did just that. The next week, I brought my thermos, full of nothing but hot water. When he asked what was in the thermos, I told him the truth.

He didn't see the tea bag and sweetener in my purse. Too bad for him !

Softball is meant to be played in warm and hot temperatures. Accordingly, my baseball pants are light and airy, allowing all wind to breeze right through it. This is not a comfortable situation when it is near the freezing mark and winds are furiously whipping around.

I lived in Canada all my life, and never owned a pair of long underwear. But this situation made owning one inevitable. The ones I found are black with stirrups – quite similar to the old professional baseball style of white socks with stirrups. Absolutely perfect. And my butt is happy and toasty as can be.

After many seasons in the recreational league, Blind Confusion has taken the plunge into the Corporate Co-Ed division. We had trouble recruiting enough girls to play the 5/4 league, so we signed up for the 7/3 Corporate league. We knew going in that the level of play would be tougher, but we thought we were prepared for it.

How wrong we were.

In five games, we have won once, been completely annihilated three times, and just mildly beaten up on once. There is a rule whereby if a team is losing by more than 10 runs after the 5th inning, the game is over. This rule, named the 'slaughter rule', has already been invoked on us twice, by the same team. I have a feeling this is going to be a long season, but I'm looking forward to it. I have always said that I don't play to win. Winning is nice, it's fun and uplifting. But it's not the reason I play. Softball has been an integral part of my life for many years. It is through this team sport that I have made some of my best friends. We don't just go to the field, play and go home. We hang out with each other afterwards, we go for dinner, we chat and laugh and share stories. It's not just a game. It's a social event with the added bonus of great exercise and a ton of fun.

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About Me

I am a Network Engineer for a large technology company in Silicon Valley. I am also a certified EMT and volunteer for the Emergency Response Team at my work. This blog details my experiences and my life in all my various roles.